Though Luyendyk's casting seemed to come out of nowhere, ABC Executive Robert Mills told ET that the timing was right for the Arizona native to become the Bachelor over fan favorite Peter Kraus -- and Kraus agreed.

"It was such an emotional roller coaster. I didn't feel like I had enough time to process the season and After the Final Rose, and where I was at in my own life at the time," Kraus told ET last week. "I needed more time for clarity. I'm the type of person who needs maybe too much time to process things when it comes to life and love...when I'm talking about my wife and my future, I want to take time to really think about it."

"If the offer were to come up in the future, I could see myself doing it. It seems like an amazing opportunity," Kraus shared. "At this stage in my life, I'm single, I'm happy, business is good, family is good. I'm ready for the next step again, and if that's what route it took, I'd be OK with that."